The Eton schoolboy, Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock), was not yet 17 when he first met his musical hero Frederick Delius at a concert of his works given by Sir Thomas Beecham at Queen's Hall in 1911. The next day he wrote an ecstatic letter to Delius enthusing over `such perfect performances of such perfect music'. Flattered and intrigued by the young admirer, Delius replied in warm and encouraging terms. And so began a correspondence that was to last until Heseltine's untimely death in 1930. It is fortunate that each composer kept the others' letters and, now placed in chronological order, they give a fascinating picture, not only of the two men and their music, but also of musical life in England and Europe. In their often frank writing the characters and interaction of the two men is highlighted and in their informal and often gossipy way they illuminate the musical life and many personalities of the time. Barry Smith, the author of a recent highly regarded biography of Peter Warlock, has fully researched the background of the correspondence and by means of generous annotations and linking narrative has produced a compelling story of an unusual and unique friendship between two composers.
